U.S. patent number 10,291,999 [Application Number 15/939,989] was granted by the patent office on 2019-05-14 for method and system for validating a position of a microphone.
This patent grant is currently assigned to CAE INC.. The grantee listed for this patent is CAE INC.. Invention is credited to Maxime Ayotte.
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United States Patent |
10,291,999 |
Ayotte |
May 14, 2019 |
Method and system for validating a position of a microphone
Abstract
A method comprising: receiving a reference time delay between a
first reference signal emitted by a first speaker and a second
reference signal emitted by a second speaker, each recorded by a
microphone having a target position; using the microphone
positioned at an actual position, recording a first sound signal
emitted by the first speaker and a second sound signal emitted by
the second speaker; determining an actual time delay between the
first and second sound signals; comparing the actual time delay to
the reference time delay; determining a match or a mismatch between
the actual position and the target position for the given
microphone; and outputting an indication of the match/mismatch.
Inventors: |
Ayotte; Maxime (Saint-Laurent,
CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CAE INC. |
Saint-Laurent |
N/A |
CA |
|
|
Assignee: |
CAE INC. (Saint-Laurent,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
66439565 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/939,989 |
Filed: |
March 29, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04S
7/301 (20130101); H04S 7/303 (20130101); G01S
5/26 (20130101); H04S 7/305 (20130101); G01S
5/30 (20130101); H04S 7/40 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04R
29/00 (20060101); H04S 7/00 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Sniezek; Andrew L
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Claims
I claim:
1. A computer-implemented method for determining whether a given
microphone occupies a target position, comprising: receiving a
reference time delay between a first reference signal emitted by a
first speaker and recorded by a reference microphone having the
target position and a second reference signal emitted by a second
speaker and recorded by the reference microphone having the target
position, the first and second speakers each having a fixed
position, the emission of the first and second reference signals
being spaced apart by a reference time delay and the reference time
delay being chosen to be greater than a reverberation time; using
the given microphone positioned at a given position, recording a
first sound signal emitted by the first speaker and a second sound
signal emitted by the second speaker, the emission of the first and
second sound signals being spaced apart by the reference time
delay; determining an actual time delay between the first sound
signal and the second sound signal; comparing the actual time delay
to the reference time delay; determining a match between the given
position and the target position for the given microphone if the
actual time delay corresponds to the reference time delay and a
mismatch between the given position and the target position for the
given microphone if the actual time delay is different from the
reference time delay; and outputting an indication of one of the
match and the mismatch.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said
outputting an indication comprises outputting an indication of the
match between the given position and the target position for the
given microphone.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said
outputting an indication comprises outputting an indication of the
mismatch between the given position and the target position for the
given microphone, the indication of the mismatch comprising at
least one of a suggested displacement for displacing the given
microphone, a visual indication and an audio indication.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
emitting the first sound signal via the first speaker; and emitting
the second sound signal via the second speaker after the reference
time delay.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said
determining the match comprises determining the match between the
given position and the target position for the given microphone if
the actual time delay is comprised within a range of time delay
containing the reference time delay and said determining the
mismatch comprises determining the mismatch between the given
position and the target position for the given microphone if the
actual time delay is outside of the range of time delay.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a further reference delay between the second reference
signal and a third reference signal emitted by a third speaker and
recorded by the microphone having the target position, the third
speaker having a fixed location and the emission of the second and
third reference signals being spaced apart by a predefined time
delay; recording, via the given microphone positioned at the given
position, a third sound signal emitted by the third speaker, the
emission of the second and third sound signals being spaced apart
by the predefined time delay; determining a given time delay
between the second sound signal and the third sound signal; and
comparing the given time delay to the further reference delay; said
determining the match comprising determining the match between the
given position and the target position for the given microphone if
the actual time delay corresponds to the reference time delay and
the given time delay corresponds to the further reference delay,
and said determining the mismatch comprising determining the
mismatch between the given position and the target position for the
given microphone if at least one of the actual time delay is
different from the reference time delay and the given time delay is
different from the further reference delay.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the
predefined time delay is chosen to be greater than a reverberation
time.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein said
determining the match comprises determining the match between the
given position and the target position for the given microphone if
the actual time delay is comprised within a first range of time
delay containing the reference time delay and the given time delay
is comprised within a second range of time delay containing the
further reference delay, and said determining the mismatch
comprises determining the mismatch between the given position and
the target position for the given microphone if at least one of the
actual time delay is outside the first range of time delay and the
given time delay is outside the second range of time delay.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the
reference microphone corresponds to the given microphone.
10. A system for determining whether a given microphone occupies a
target position, comprising: a sound recording unit connectable to
the given microphone to be positioned at a given position, the
sound recording unit configured for recording a first sound signal
emitted by a first speaker and a second sound signal emitted by a
second speaker, the emission of the first and second sound signals
being spaced apart by a reference time delay, the first and second
speakers each having a fixed position and the reference time delay
being chosen to be greater than a reverberation time; a time delay
unit configured for determining an actual time delay between the
first sound signal and the second sound signal; a match
identification unit configured for: receiving a reference time
delay between a first reference signal emitted by the first speaker
and recorded by a reference microphone having a target position and
a second reference signal emitted by the second speaker and
recorded by the reference microphone having the reference position,
the emission of the first and second reference signals being spaced
apart by the reference time delay; comparing the actual time delay
to the reference time delay; determining a match between the given
position and the reference position for the given microphone if the
actual time delay corresponds to the reference time delay and a
mismatch between the given position and the target position for the
given microphone if the actual time delay is different from the
reference time delay; and outputting an indication of one of the
match and the mismatch.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the match identification unit
is configured for outputting the indication of the match between
the given position and the target position for the given
microphone.
12. The system of claim 10, wherein the match identification unit
is configured for outputting the indication of the mismatch between
the given position and the target position for the given
microphone, the indication of the mismatch comprising at least one
of a suggested displacement for displacing the given microphone, a
visual indication and an audio indication.
13. The system of any claim 10, further comprising a sound emitting
unit configured for: emitting the first sound signal via the first
speaker; and emitting the second sound signal via the second
speaker after the reference time delay.
14. The system of claim 10, wherein the match identification unit
is configured for: determining the match between the given position
and the target position for the given microphone if the actual time
delay is comprised within a range of time delay containing the
reference time delay; and determining the mismatch between the
given position and the target position for the given microphone if
the actual time delay is outside of the range of time delay.
15. The system of claim 10, wherein: the sound recording unit is
further configured for recording, via the given microphone
positioned at the given position, a third sound signal emitted by a
third speaker, the emission of the second and third sound signals
being spaced apart by a predefined time delay; the time delay unit
is further configured for determining a given time delay between
the second sound signal and the third sound signal; and the match
identification unit is further configured for: receiving a further
reference delay between the second reference signal and a third
reference signal emitted by the third speaker and recorded by the
microphone having the target position, the third speaker having a
fixed location and the emission of the second and third reference
signals being spaced apart by the predefined time delay; comparing
the given time delay to the further reference delay; determining
the match between the given position and the reference position for
the given microphone if the actual time delay corresponds to the
reference time delay and the given time delay corresponds to the
further reference delay, and determining the mismatch between the
given position and the reference position for the given microphone
if at least one of the actual time delay is different from the
reference time delay and the given time delay is different from the
further reference delay.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the predefined time delay is
chosen to be greater than a reverberation time.
17. The system of claim 15, wherein the match identification unit
is configured for: determining the match between the given position
and the target position for the given microphone if the actual time
delay is comprised within a first range of time delay containing
the reference time delay and the given time delay is comprised
within a second range of time delay containing the further
reference delay; and determining the mismatch between the given
position and the target position for the given microphone if at
least one of the actual time delay is outside the first range of
time delay and the given time delay is outside the second range of
time delay.
18. The system of claim 10, wherein the reference microphone
corresponds to the given microphone.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to the field of methods and system
for determining the position of a microphone, and more particularly
to methods and systems for determining the position of a microphone
using sound signals generated by speakers.
BACKGROUND
In the context of simulators such as vehicle simulators, the
location of a microphone to be used for sound tests or calibration
is usually important to ensure repeatability such as when running
sound Qualification Test Guide (QTG) tests. If when running sound
tests the microphone is positioned at a location different from
previous positions, there will be difference in travel distance
between the speakers and the microphone and this difference in
travel distance may cause a dephasing of the period signals which
will cause different interference and modify the recorded signal
amplitudes.
Usually, pictures are provided to help a user installing the
microphone at the desired position. However, this solution for
installing the microphone at the desired position may not be
adequate since it is subject to individual interpretation of the
pictures.
Another solution consists in providing the user with a custom fixed
tripod on which the microphone is installed. However, such a custom
fixed tripod may be obstructive and the installation of the custom
fixed tripod can be time consuming in addition to be expensive.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved method and system for
determining whether a microphone is positioned at a desired
position.
SUMMARY
According to a first broad aspect, there is provided a
computer-implemented method for determining whether a given
microphone occupies a target position, comprising: receiving a
reference time delay between a first reference signal emitted by a
first speaker and recorded by a reference microphone having the
target position and a second reference signal emitted by a second
speaker and recorded by the reference microphone having the target
position, the first and second speakers each having a fixed
position and the emission of the first and second reference signals
being spaced apart by a reference time delay; using the given
microphone positioned at a given position, recording a first sound
signal emitted by the first speaker and a second sound signal
emitted by the second speaker, the emission of the first and second
sound signals being spaced apart by the reference time delay;
determining an actual time delay between the first sound signal and
the second sound signal; comparing the actual time delay to the
reference time delay; determining a match between the given
position and the target position for the given microphone if the
actual time delay corresponds to the reference time delay and a
mismatch between the given position and the target position for the
given microphone if the actual time delay is different from the
reference time delay; and outputting an indication of one of the
match and the mismatch.
In one embodiment, the reference time delay is chosen to be greater
than a reverberation time.
In one embodiment, said outputting an indication comprises
outputting an indication of the match between the given position
and the target position for the given microphone.
In one embodiment, said outputting an indication comprises
outputting an indication of the mismatch between the given position
and the target position for the given microphone.
In one embodiment, the indication of the mismatch comprises a
suggested displacement for displacing the given microphone.
In one embodiment, said outputting an indication comprises
outputting one of a visual indication and an audio indication.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises: emitting the first
sound signal via the first speaker; and emitting the second sound
signal via the second speaker after the reference time delay.
In one embodiment, said determining the match comprises determining
the match between the given position and the target position for
the given microphone if the actual time delay is comprised within a
range of time delay containing the reference time delay and said
determining the mismatch comprises determining the mismatch between
the given position and the target position for the given microphone
if the actual time delay is outside of the range of time delay.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises: receiving a
further reference delay between the second reference signal and a
third reference signal emitted by a third speaker and recorded by
the microphone having the target position, the third speaker having
a fixed location and the emission of the second and third reference
signals being spaced apart by a predefined time delay; recording,
via the given microphone positioned at the given position, a third
sound signal emitted by the third speaker, the emission of the
second and third sound signals being spaced apart by the predefined
time delay; determining a given time delay between the second sound
signal and the third sound signal; and comparing the given time
delay to the further reference delay; said determining the match
comprising determining the match between the given position and the
target position for the given microphone if the actual time delay
corresponds to the reference time delay and the given time delay
corresponds to the further reference delay, and said determining
the mismatch comprising determining the mismatch between the given
position and the target position for the given microphone if at
least one of the actual time delay is different from the reference
time delay and the given time delay is different from the further
reference delay.
In one embodiment, the predefined time delay is chosen to be
greater than a reverberation time.
In one embodiment, said determining the match comprises determining
the match between the given position and the target position for
the given microphone if the actual time delay is comprised within a
first range of time delay containing the reference time delay and
the given time delay is comprised within a second range of time
delay containing the further reference delay, and said determining
the mismatch comprises determining the mismatch between the given
position and the target position for the given microphone if at
least one of the actual time delay is outside the first range of
time delay and the given time delay is outside the second range of
time delay.
In one embodiment, the reference microphone corresponds to the
given microphone.
According to a second broad aspect, there is provided a system for
determining whether a given microphone occupies a target position,
comprising: a communication unit for at least one of receiving and
transmitting data, a memory and a processing unit configured for
executing the steps of the above method.
According to a third broad aspect, there is provided a system for
determining whether a given microphone occupies a target position,
comprising: a sound recording unit connectable to the given
microphone to be positioned at a given position, the sound
recording unit configured for recording a first sound signal
emitted by a first speaker and a second sound signal emitted by a
second speaker, the emission of the first and second sound signals
being spaced apart by a reference time delay, the first and second
speakers each having a fixed position; a time delay unit configured
for determining an actual time delay between the first sound signal
and the second sound signal; a match identification unit configured
for: receiving a reference time delay between a first reference
signal emitted by the first speaker and recorded by a reference
microphone having a target position and a second reference signal
emitted by the second speaker and recorded by the reference
microphone having the reference position, the emission of the first
and second reference signals being spaced apart by the reference
time delay; comparing the actual time delay to the reference time
delay; determining a match between the given position and the
reference position for the given microphone if the actual time
delay corresponds to the reference time delay and a mismatch
between the given position and the target position for the given
microphone if the actual time delay is different from the reference
time delay; and outputting an indication of one of the match and
the mismatch.
In one embodiment, the reference time delay is chosen to be greater
than a reverberation time.
In one embodiment, the match identification unit is configured for
outputting the indication of the match between the given position
and the target position for the given microphone.
In one embodiment, the match identification unit is configured for
outputting the indication of the mismatch between the given
position and the target position for the given microphone.
In one embodiment, the indication of the mismatch comprises a
suggested displacement for displacing the given microphone.
In one embodiment, the match identification unit is configured for
outputting one of a visual indication and an audio indication.
In one embodiment, the system further comprises a sound emitting
unit configured for: emitting the first sound signal via the first
speaker; and emitting the second sound signal via the second
speaker after the reference time delay.
In one embodiment, the match identification unit is configured for:
determining the match between the given position and the target
position for the given microphone if the actual time delay is
comprised within a range of time delay containing the reference
time delay; and determining the mismatch between the given position
and the target position for the given microphone if the actual time
delay is outside of the range of time delay.
In one embodiment, the sound recording unit is further configured
for recording, via the given microphone positioned at the given
position, a third sound signal emitted by a third speaker, the
emission of the second and third sound signals being spaced apart
by a predefined time delay; the time delay unit is further
configured for determining a given time delay between the second
sound signal and the third sound signal; and the match
identification unit is further configured for: receiving a further
reference delay between the second reference signal and a third
reference signal emitted by the third speaker and recorded by the
microphone having the target position, the third speaker having a
fixed location and the emission of the second and third reference
signals being spaced apart by the predefined time delay; comparing
the given time delay to the further reference delay; determining
the match between the given position and the reference position for
the given microphone if the actual time delay corresponds to the
reference time delay and the given time delay corresponds to the
further reference delay, and determining the mismatch between the
given position and the reference position for the given microphone
if at least one of the actual time delay is different from the
reference time delay and the given time delay is different from the
further reference delay.
In one embodiment, the predefined time delay is chosen to be
greater than a reverberation time.
In one embodiment, the match identification unit is configured for:
determining the match between the given position and the target
position for the given microphone if the actual time delay is
comprised within a first range of time delay containing the
reference time delay and the given time delay is comprised within a
second range of time delay containing the further reference delay;
and determining the mismatch between the given position and the
target position for the given microphone if at least one of the
actual time delay is outside the first range of time delay and the
given time delay is outside the second range of time delay.
In one embodiment, the reference microphone corresponds to the
given microphone.
According to another broad aspect, there is provided a
computer-implemented method for determining whether a microphone
occupies a desired position, comprising: receiving a target
position for the microphone; sequentially emitting a first sound
signal via a first speaker positioned at a first speaker position,
and a second sound signal via a second speaker positioned at a
second speaker position; measuring a first elapsed time between the
emission of the first sound signal by the first speaker and a
detection of the first sound signal by the microphone, and a second
elapsed time between the emission of the second sound signal by the
second speaker and a detection of the second sound signal by the
microphone; determining a first distance between the first speaker
position and the microphone using the first elapsed time, and a
second distance between the second speaker position and the
microphone using the second elapsed time and; determining an actual
position of the microphone using the first and second distances and
the first and second speaker positions; comparing the actual
position of the microphone to the target position; determining a
match between the actual position and the target position for the
microphone if the actual position corresponds to the target
position and a mismatch between the actual position and the target
position for the given microphone if the actual position is
different from the target position; and outputting an indication of
one of the match and the mismatch.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises: emitting a third
sound signal via a third speaker positioned at a third speaker
position; measuring a third elapsed time between the emission of
the third sound signal by the third speaker and a detection of the
third sound signal by the microphone; and determining a third
distance between the third speaker position and the microphone
using the third elapsed time, said determining the actual position
of the microphone is performed using further the third distance and
the third speaker position.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises recording, via the
microphone, the first sound signal emitted by the first speaker,
the second sound signal emitted by the second speaker and the third
sound signal emitted by the third speaker.
In one embodiment, an emission of the first sound signal and an
emission of the second sound signal are spaced apart by a first
time delay and an emission of the second sound signal and an
emission of the third sound signal are spaced apart by a second
time delay.
In one embodiment, the first and second time delays are each
greater than a reverberation time.
In one embodiment, said outputting the indication comprises
outputting the indication of the match between the actual position
and the target position for the microphone.
In one embodiment, said outputting the indication comprises
outputting the indication of the mismatch between the actual
position and the target position for the given microphone.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises determining a
suggested displacement for the microphone using the actual position
and the target position, said outputting the indication of the
mismatch comprising outputting the suggested displacement for the
microphone.
In one embodiment, said outputting an indication comprises
outputting one of a visual indication and an audio indication.
In one embodiment, said determining the match comprises determining
the match between the actual position and the target position for
the given microphone if the actual position is comprised within a
range of position containing the target position and said
determining the mismatch comprises determining the mismatch between
the actual position and the target position for the given
microphone if the actual position is outside of the range of
position.
In one embodiment, said determining an actual position of the
microphone is performed using a trilateration method.
In one embodiment, said determining an actual position of the
microphone is performed using a nonlinear least squares fitting
method.
According to a further broad aspect, there is provided a system for
determining whether a microphone occupies a target position,
comprising: a communication unit for at least one of receiving and
transmitting data, a memory and a processing unit configured for
executing the steps of the above method.
According to still another broad aspect, there is provided a system
for determining whether a microphone occupies a desired position,
comprising: a sound emitting unit configured for successively
emitting a first sound signal via a first speaker positioned at a
first speaker position and a second sound signal via a second
speaker positioned at a second speaker position; a distance
measurement unit configured for: measuring a first elapsed time
between the emission of the first sound signal by the first speaker
and a detection of the first sound signal by the microphone and a
second elapsed time between the emission of the second sound signal
by the second speaker and a detection of the second sound signal by
the microphone; and determining a first distance between the first
speaker position and the microphone using the first elapsed time
and a second distance between the second speaker position and the
microphone using the second elapsed time and; a position
determining unit configured for determining an actual position of
the microphone using the first and second distances and the first
and second speaker positions; a match identification unit
configured for: receiving a target position for the microphone;
comparing the actual position of the microphone to the target
position; determining a match between the actual position and the
target position for the microphone if the actual position
corresponds to the target position and a mismatch between the
actual position and the target position for the given microphone if
the actual position is different from the target position; and
outputting an indication of one of the match and the mismatch.
In one embodiment, the sound emitting unit is further configured
for emitting a third sound signal via a third speaker positioned at
a third speaker position; the distance measurement unit is further
configured for: measuring a third elapsed time between the emission
of the third sound signal by the third speaker and a detection of
the third sound signal by the microphone; and determining a third
distance between the third speaker position and the microphone
using the third elapsed time; and the position determining unit is
configured for determining the actual position of the microphone
using further the third distance and the third speaker
position.
In one embodiment, the system further comprises a sound recording
unit connectable to the microphone and configured for recording,
via the microphone, the first sound signal emitted by the first
speaker, the second sound signal emitted by the second speaker and
the third sound signal emitted by the third speaker.
In one embodiment, an emission of the first sound signal and an
emission of the second sound signal are spaced apart by a first
time delay and an emission of the second sound signal and an
emission of the third sound signal are spaced apart by a second
time delay.
In one embodiment, the first and second time delays are each
greater than a reverberation time.
In one embodiment, the match identification unit is configured for
outputting the indication of the match between the actual position
and the target position for the microphone.
In one embodiment, the match identification unit is configured for
outputting the indication of the mismatch between the actual
position and the target position for the given microphone.
In one embodiment, the system further comprises a displacement
determining unit configured for determining a suggested
displacement for the microphone using the actual position and the
target position, the match identification unit being configured for
outputting the suggested displacement for the microphone.
In one embodiment, the match identification unit is configured for
outputting one of a visual indication and an audio indication.
In one embodiment, the match identification unit is configured for:
determining the match between the actual position and the target
position for the given microphone if the actual position is
comprised within a range of position containing the target
position; and determining the mismatch between the actual position
and the target position for the given microphone if the actual
position is outside of the range of position.
In one embodiment, the position determining unit is configured for
determining the actual position of the microphone using a
trilateration method.
In one embodiment, the position determining unit is configured for
determining the actual position of the microphone using a nonlinear
least squares fitting method.
According to still a further broad aspect, there is provided a
computer-implemented method for determining an actual position of a
microphone, comprising: sequentially emitting a first sound signal
via a first speaker positioned at a first speaker position, and a
second sound signal via a second speaker positioned at a second
speaker position; measuring a first elapsed time between the
emission of the first sound signal by the first speaker and a
detection of the first sound signal by the microphone, and a second
elapsed time between the emission of the second sound signal by the
second speaker and a detection of the second sound signal by the
microphone; determining a first distance between the first speaker
position and the microphone using the first elapsed time, and a
second distance between the second speaker position and the
microphone using the second elapsed time and; determining the
actual position of the microphone using the first and second
distances and the first and second speaker positions; and
outputting the actual position of the microphone.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises: emitting a third
sound signal via a third speaker positioned at a third speaker
position; measuring a third elapsed time between the emission of
the third sound signal by the third speaker and a detection of the
third sound signal by the microphone; and determining a third
distance between the third speaker position and the microphone
using the third elapsed time, said determining the actual position
of the microphone is performed using further the third distance and
the third speaker position.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises recording, via the
microphone, the first sound signal emitted by the first speaker,
the second sound signal emitted by the second speaker and the third
sound signal emitted by the third speaker.
In one embodiment, an emission of the first sound signal and an
emission of the second sound signal are spaced apart by a first
time delay and an emission of the second sound signal and an
emission of the third sound signal are spaced apart by a second
time delay.
In one embodiment, the first and second time delays are each
greater than a reverberation time.
In one embodiment, said determining the actual position of the
microphone is performed using a trilateration method.
In one embodiment, said determining an actual position of the
microphone is performed using a nonlinear least squares fitting
method.
According to still another broad aspect, there is provided a system
for determining an actual position of a microphone, comprising: a
communication unit for at least one of receiving and transmitting
data, a memory and a processing unit configured for executing the
steps of the above method.
According to still a further broad aspect, there is provided system
for determining an actual position of a microphone, comprising: a
sound emitting unit configured for successively emitting a first
sound signal via a first speaker positioned at a first speaker
position and a second sound signal via a second speaker positioned
at a second speaker position; a distance measurement unit
configured for: measuring a first elapsed time between the emission
of the first sound signal by the first speaker and a detection of
the first sound signal by the microphone and a second elapsed time
between the emission of the second sound signal by the second
speaker and a detection of the second sound signal by the
microphone; and determining a first distance between the first
speaker position and the microphone using the first elapsed time
and a second distance between the second speaker position and the
microphone using the second elapsed time; and a position
determining unit configured for determining the actual position of
the microphone using the first and second distances and the first
and second speaker positions, and outputting the actual position of
the microphone.
In one embodiment, the sound emitting unit is further configured
for emitting a third sound signal via a third speaker positioned at
a third speaker position; the distance measurement unit is further
configured for: measuring a third elapsed time between the emission
of the third sound signal by the third speaker and a detection of
the third sound signal by the microphone; and determining a third
distance between the third speaker position and the microphone
using the third elapsed time; and the position determining unit is
configured for determining the actual position of the microphone
using further the third distance and the third speaker
position.
In one embodiment, the system further comprises a sound recording
unit connectable to the microphone and configured for recording,
via the microphone, the first sound signal emitted by the first
speaker, the second sound signal emitted by the second speaker and
the third sound signal emitted by the third speaker.
In one embodiment, an emission of the first sound signal and an
emission of the second sound signal are spaced apart by a first
time delay and an emission of the second sound signal and an
emission of the third sound signal are spaced apart by a second
time delay.
In one embodiment, the first and second time delays are each
greater than a reverberation time.
In one embodiment, the position determining unit is configured for
determining the actual position of the microphone using a
trilateration method.
In one embodiment, the position determining unit is configured for
determining the actual position of the microphone using a nonlinear
least squares fitting method.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in
combination with the appended drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method for determining whether a
microphone occupies a desired position using time delays between
successively detected signals, in accordance with an
embodiment;
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary positioning of a microphone
relative to three speakers, in accordance with an embodiment;
FIG. 3 illustrates the temporal emission of three sound signals by
three different speakers, in accordance with an embodiment;
FIG. 4 illustrates the detection of the three sound signals of FIG.
3, in accordance with an embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a system for determining whether a
microphone occupies a desired position using time delays between
successively detected signals, in accordance with an
embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a processing module adapted to execute
at least some of the steps of the method of FIG. 1, in accordance
with an embodiment;
FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a method for determining whether a
microphone occupies a desired position via the determination of an
actual position of the microphone, in accordance with an
embodiment;
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a system for determining whether a
microphone occupies a desired position via the determination of an
actual position of the microphone, in accordance with an
embodiment; and
FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a processing module adapted to execute
at least some of the steps of the method of FIG. 7, in accordance
with an embodiment.
It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like
features are identified by like reference numerals.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a method 10 for determining
whether a microphone is positioned at a target and desired
position. The method 10 is to be performed by a computer machine
provided with at least communication means, a processing unit and a
memory. For example, the method 10 may be used for calibrating
sound and/or running sound tests in a simulator such as a vehicle
simulator. In such cases, positioning a microphone at the same
position as a previous position is of importance for ensuring that
the calibration is correct and/or the results of the tests are
reliable.
The method 10 is performed using at least two speakers connected to
a playback system for playing back sound signals via each one of
the speakers. Each speaker is located at a fixed position which
does not vary in time. In one embodiment, the position of each
speaker is unknown while being constant in time. In another
embodiment, the position of each speaker is known and constant in
time.
At step 12, a reference time delay is received. In order to obtain
the time reference time delay, a microphone is positioned at a
given position 30 relative to two speakers 32 and 34. The given
position 30 is referred hereinafter to as the target position for
the microphone since the aim the method 10 is to help a user
position a microphone at the position 30. The reference time delay
corresponds to the time delay that occurs between the capture of a
first reference sound signal and the capture of a second reference
sounds signal. The capture of the first and second reference sound
signals is performed by the a microphone while the microphone is
positioned at the position 30.
The first reference sound signal is emitted by a first speaker,
e.g. speaker 32, while the second reference sound signal is emitted
by a second and different speaker, e.g. speaker 34. The playback
system used for playing back the first and second reference sound
signals via the first and second speakers, respectively, is
configured for successively playing back the first and second
reference sound signals so that a time delay is present between the
end of the playback of the first reference sound signal via the
first speaker and the beginning of the playback of the second
reference sound signal via the second speaker. This time delay is
referred to as the reference time delay hereinafter.
In an embodiment in the method 10 is performed in a closed space or
a partially-closed space such as in a simulator, the reference time
delay is chosen to be greater than the reverberation time of the
closed or partially-closed space. In another embodiment, the
reference time delay is chosen to be equal to or less than the
reverberation time of the closed or partially-closed space.
Referring back to FIG. 1, a microphone is positioned at a given
position relative to the first and second speakers in order to
perform steps 14-22 of the method 10. In one embodiment, the
microphone is positioned at a random location relative to the first
and second speakers. In another embodiment, the microphone is
positioned at a position believed to be at least close to the
target position. Using the playback system a first test sound
signal is emitted via the first speaker and recorded using the
microphone at the given position. Then a second test sound signal
is emitted via the second speaker and recorded by the microphone at
the given position. The playback system is configured for playing
back the first and second test sound signals so that the first and
second test signals are temporally spaced apart by the same time
delay as the one between the first and second reference sound
signals, i.e. by the reference time delay.
FIG. 3 is an exemplary graph illustrating the successive emission
of the first test sound signal 40 on the first channel 42, i.e. by
the first speaker, and a second test sound signal 42 on a second
channel, i.e. by the second speaker. The first and second test
sound signals are spaced apart by a time delay .delta.t1, i.e. the
time elapsed between the end of the first test sound signal and the
beginning of the second test sound signal 42.
The emitted sound signals are captured by the microphone and
recorded, thereby obtaining a first recorded sound signal and a
second recorded sound signal. At step 16, the actual time delay
between the first recorded sound signal and the second recorded
sound signal is determined.
FIG. 4 is an exemplary graph illustrating first and second sound
signals recorded using the microphone at the given position. The
first recorded sound signal 46 and the second recorded sound signal
48 are temporally spaced apart by an actual time delay .DELTA.t1
which corresponds to the time difference between the end of the
first recorded sound signal 46 and the beginning of the second
recorded sound signal 48.
At step 18, the actual time delay is compared to the reference time
delay received at step 12. At step 20, it is determined whether
there is a match between the given position of the microphone that
was used to recording the test sound signals at step 14 and the
target position for the microphone using the result of the
comparison performed at step 18.
If the actual time delay substantially correspond to the reference
time delay, then it is concluded that there is a match between the
given or actual position of the microphone and the target position.
On the other end, if the actual time delay is different from the
reference time delay, then it is concluded that there is no match
between the given position of the microphone and the target
position, i.e. the microphone is not located at the target position
required for performing a sound test for example.
In one embodiment, a match is determined when the actual time delay
is comprised within a predefined range of time delays which
contains the reference time delay, and a mismatch is determined
when the actual time delay is outside of the range of time
delays.
At step 22, an indication of the match/mismatch between the given
position of the microphone and its target position is outputted. In
one embodiment, the indication of the match/mismatch is stored in
memory.
In one embodiment, step 22 consists in outputting an indication
only when a match between the given position of the microphone and
the target position is found.
In another embodiment, step 22 consists in outputting an indication
only when a mismatch is found between the given position of the
microphone and the target position.
In a further embodiment, two different types of indication may be
outputted at step 22. A first indication of a match may be
outputted when a match between the given position of the microphone
and the target position is found, and a second and different
indication may be outputted when a mismatch between the given
position of the microphone and the target position is found.
In one embodiment, the indication of the match/mismatch is a visual
indication. For example, a light may illuminate to indicate a match
between the given position of the microphone and the target
position.
In another embodiment, the indication of the match/mismatch is an
audio indication. For example, a sound may be emitted when a match
between the given position of the microphone and the target
position is found.
It should be understood that the position of the speakers is fixed
and does not vary in time, i.e. the position of the speakers at the
time of emitting the test sound signals is identical to that the
speakers at the time of emitting the reference sound signals.
In one embodiment, the first and second test sound signals are
identical. In another embodiment, the first and second test sound
signals may be different. Similarly, the first and second reference
sound signals may be identical. Alternatively, they may be
different. It should also be understood that the first test sound
signal may be identical to the first reference sound signal and/or
the second test sound signal may be identical to the second
reference sound signal. Alternatively, the first test sound signal
may be different from the first reference sound signal and/or the
second test sound signal may be different from the second reference
sound signal.
In one embodiment, the same microphone is used for both generating
the first and second reference signals and the first and second
sound signals recorded at step 14. In another embodiment, different
microphones may be used.
In one embodiment, the method 10 further comprises emitting the
first test sound signal and emitting the second test sound
signal.
In one embodiment, the method 10 further comprises receiving a
second reference time delay at step 12. In order to obtain the
second reference time delay, the microphone is positioned at the
target position 30 illustrated in FIG. 2. The second reference time
delay corresponds to the time delay that occurs between the capture
of the second reference sound signal and the capture of a third
reference sounds signal emitted by a third speaker, e.g. speaker
38.
As described above, the second reference sound signal is emitted by
the second speaker, e.g. speaker 34, while the third reference
sound signal is emitted by the third and different speaker, e.g.
speaker 38. The playback system used for playing back the second
and third reference sound signals via the second and third
speakers, respectively, is configured for successively playing back
the second and third reference sound signals so that a time delay
is present between the end of the playback of the second reference
sound signal emitted via the second speaker and the beginning of
the playback of the third reference sound signal emitted via the
third speaker. This second reference time delay may be identical to
the above-described first reference time delay. Alternatively,
second reference time delay may be different from the first
reference time delay.
When a second reference time delay is received at step 12, a third
test sound signal is played back via the third speaker and recorded
using the microphone located at the given position. The emission of
the third test sound signal is spaced apart from the second test
signal by an amount of time corresponding to the second reference
time delay. Referring back to FIG. 3, a third test sound signal 50
is emitted on the third channel, i.e. via the third speaker. The
second and third test sound signals are spaced apart by a time
delay .delta.t2, i.e. the time elapsed between the end of the
second test sound signal and the beginning of the third test sound
signal 42.
At step 14, the third test sound signal is captured and recorded at
step 14 using the microphone being positioned at the given
position. A step 16, a second actual time delay, i.e. the actual
time delay between the second recorded sound signal and the third
recorded sound signal, is determined.
Referring back to FIG. 4, the second recorded sound signal 48 and
the second recorded sound signal 52 are temporally spaced apart by
a second actual time delay .DELTA.t2 which corresponds to the time
difference between the end of the second recorded sound signal 48
and the beginning of the third recorded sound signal 52.
Step 18 further comprises comparing the second actual time delay to
the second reference time delay received at step 12. At step 20,
the match or mismatch between the given position of the microphone
and the target position is performed according to the result of the
comparison performed at step 18.
In one embodiment, a match between the given position of the
microphone and the target position is determined only if the first
actual time delay between the captured first and second test sounds
signals correspond to the first reference time delay and the second
actual time delay between the captured second and third test sounds
signals correspond to the second reference time delay. As described
above, a range of reference time delay values may be used for
determining whether a match occurs.
In one embodiment, a mismatch between the given position of the
microphone and the target position is determined if the first
actual time delay between the captured first and second test sounds
signals is different from the first reference time delay and/or the
second actual time delay between the captured second and third test
sounds signals is different from the second reference time
delay.
It should be understood that the method 10 may be embodied as a
computer machine comprising at least one processing unit or
processor, a communication unit and a memory having stored thereon
statements and/or instructions that, when executed by the
processing unit, executes the steps of the method 10.
FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a system 60 comprising at
least a sound recording unit 62, a time delay unit 64 and a match
identification unit 66.
The sound recording unit 62 is connectable to the microphone 68
positioned at the given position and configured for recording, via
the microphone 68, the first and second test sound signals
described above, and optionally the third test sound signal if any.
The recorded test sound signals are then transmitted to the time
delay unit 64.
The time delay unit 64 is configured for determining the actual
time delay between the first and second recorded test sound
signals, and optionally the second actual time delay between the
second and third recorded test sound signals, as described above
with respect to the method 10. The determined time delay(s) is(are)
transmitted to the match identification unit 66.
The match identification unit 66 receives the reference time
delay(s) and is configured for comparing the determined time
delay(s) to the reference time delay(s) as described above, to
determine if the given or actual position of the microphone
corresponds to the target position and output an indication of the
match/mismatch, as described above with respect to the method
10.
In one embodiment, the system 60 further comprises a sound emitting
unit connected to the speakers and configured for playing back the
test sound signals via the speakers according to the reference time
delay(s), as described above with respect to the method 10.
In one embodiment, the system 60 further comprises a memory on
which a database storing is stored. The database may contain the
reference time delay(s) and the test sound signals to be played
back for example.
In one embodiment, the system 60 may further comprise a visual
indicating device such as a lighting system, a display or the like
for visually informing the user of the match/mismatch. For example,
the match identification unit 66 may be configured to generate a
written message indicative of the match/mismatch and transmit the
generated message to a display to be displayed thereon.
In another embodiment, the match identification unit 66 may be
connected to a given one of the speakers used for playing back the
test sound signals and configured for generating an audio signal to
be played back via the given speaker. Alternatively, a further
speaker may be used for playing back the audio signal.
In one embodiment, each one of the units 62-66 is provided with a
respective processing unit such as a microprocessor, a respective
memory and respective communication means. In another embodiment,
at least two of the units 62-66 may share a same processing unit, a
same memory and/or same communication means. For example, the
system 60 may comprise a single processing unit used by each unit
62-66, a single memory and a single communication unit.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary processing
module 80 for executing the steps 12 to 22 of the method 10, in
accordance with some embodiments. The processing module 80
typically includes one or more Computer Processing Units (CPUs)
and/or Graphic Processing Units (GPUs) 82 for executing modules or
programs and/or instructions stored in memory 84 and thereby
performing processing operations, memory 84, and one or more
communication buses 86 for interconnecting these components. The
communication buses 86 optionally include circuitry (sometimes
called a chipset) that interconnects and controls communications
between system components. The memory 84 includes high-speed random
access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM or other random access
solid state memory devices, and may include non-volatile memory,
such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk
storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid
state storage devices. The memory 84 optionally includes one or
more storage devices remotely located from the CPU(s) 82. The
memory 84, or alternately the non-volatile memory device(s) within
the memory 84, comprises a non-transitory computer readable storage
medium. In some embodiments, the memory 84, or the computer
readable storage medium of the memory 84 stores the following
programs, modules, and data structures, or a subset thereof:
a sound recording module 90 for generating recorded test sound
signals;
a time delay module 92 for calculating the time delay between two
recorded test sound signals;
a match identification module 94 for determining a match/mismatch
between the actual position of the microphone and its target
position; and
a sound emitting module 96 for playing back the test sound signals
via the speakers.
It should be understood that the distance module 96 may be
omitted.
Each of the above identified elements may be stored in one or more
of the previously mentioned memory devices, and corresponds to a
set of instructions for performing a function described above. The
above identified modules or programs (i.e., sets of instructions)
need not be implemented as separate software programs, procedures
or modules, and thus various subsets of these modules may be
combined or otherwise re-arranged in various embodiments. In some
embodiments, the memory 84 may store a subset of the modules and
data structures identified above. Furthermore, the memory 84 may
store additional modules and data structures not described
above.
Although it shows a processing module 80, FIG. 6 is intended more
as functional description of the various features which may be
present in a management module than as a structural schematic of
the embodiments described herein. In practice, and as recognized by
those of ordinary skill in the art, items shown separately could be
combined and some items could be separated.
FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of a further method 100 for
determining whether a given microphone is positioned at a desired
position.
Similarly to the method 10, the method 100 may be used in the
context of a simulator such as a vehicle simulator in order to
ensure that a microphone to be used in a sound text for example is
positioned at a desired position.
The microphone is positioned at given position and the method 100
is performed in order to determine whether the given position at
which the microphone is corresponds or not the desired position for
the microphone.
At step 102, the target or desired position for the microphone is
received. The position of the three speakers to be used for
emitting sound signals is also received at step 102. A position may
be expressed as coordinates (x, y, z) for example.
At step 105, three sound signals are emitted sequentially each from
a respective speaker. Referring back to FIG. 2, a first sound
signal is emitted via the first speaker 32, a second sound signal
is emitted via the second speaker 34 and a third sound signal is
emitted via the third speaker 38.
In one embodiment, a time delay exists between the end of the
emission of a sound signal and the beginning of the emission of the
subsequent sound signal. For example, a first reference time delay
is present between the end of the emission of the first sound
signal by the first speaker 32 and the beginning of the emission of
the second sound signal by the second speaker 34, and a second time
delay is present between the end of the emission of the second
sound signal and the beginning of the emission of the third sound
signal by the third speaker 38.
In one embodiment, the first and second time delays are identical.
In another embodiment, the first and second time delays are
different.
In one embodiment, the first and/or second time delays are chosen
so to be longer than the reverberation time of the room in which
the method 100 is performed to avoid or limit interferences between
echoes of a given sound signal and a subsequent sound signal.
At step 106, the sound signal emitted at step 104 are detected by
the microphone and the propagation time between the respective
speaker that emitted the sound signal and the microphone is
determined for each one of the three signals. The propagation time
corresponds to the time elapsed between the beginning of the
emission of a sound signal via its speaker and the beginning of the
reception of the same sound signal by the microphone. The person
skilled in the art will understand that the propagation time may
also be defined as the time elapsed between the end of the emission
of a sound signal by a speaker and the end of the reception of the
same sound signal by the microphone.
As a result, a first propagation time is determined for the first
sound signal emitted by the first speaker, a second propagation
time is determined for the second sound signal emitted by the
second speaker and a third propagation time is determined for the
third sound signal emitted by the third speaker.
At step 108, for each emitted sound signal, the distance between
the respective speaker that emitted the sound signal and the
microphone is determined using the respective propagation time
determined at step 106 and the speed of sound. As a result, the
distance between the first speaker and the microphone is determined
using the propagation time determined for the first sound signal,
the distance between the second speaker and the microphone is
determined using the propagation time determined for the second
sound signal and the distance between the third speaker and the
microphone is determined using the propagation time determined for
the third sound signal.
At step 110, the actual position of the microphone from which the
three sound signals have been detected is determined using the
determined distances between the microphone and the three speakers
used for emitting the three sound signals, as described above.
Then the actual position of the microphone determined at step 110
is compared to the target position for the microphone received at
step 102. At step 114, it is determined whether the actual position
of the microphone matches the target position. If the determined
actual position corresponds to the target position, then a match
between the actual position of the microphone and the target
position is determined. On the other end, if the determined actual
position of the microphone is different from the target position
for the microphone, then a mismatch between the actual position and
the target position is determined. The indication of the
match/mismatch between the actual position of the microphone and
its target position is outputted at step 116. In one embodiment,
the indication of the match/mismatch is stored in memory.
In one embodiment, step 116 consists in outputting an indication
only when a match between the actual position of the microphone and
the target position is found.
In another embodiment, step 116 consists in outputting an
indication only when a mismatch is found between the actual
position of the microphone and the target position.
In a further embodiment, two different types of indication may be
outputted at step 116. A first indication of a match may be
outputted when a match between the actual position of the
microphone and the target position is found, and a second and
different indication may be outputted when a mismatch between the
actual position of the microphone and the target position is
determined.
In one embodiment, the indication of the match/mismatch is a visual
indication. For example, a light may be illuminated to indicate a
match between the actual position of the microphone and the target
position.
In another embodiment, the indication of the match/mismatch is an
audio indication. For example, a sound may be emitted when a match
between the actual position of the microphone and the target
position is found.
In one embodiment, the method 100 further comprises a step of
calculating the position difference between target position and
actual position such as the vector from the actual position to the
target position. In this case, the method 100 may further comprise
a step of determining instructions for moving the microphone from
the actual position to the target position based on the position
difference and outputting the instructions. In one embodiment, the
instructions may be displayed on a display. In another embodiment,
the instructions may be verbal instructions.
It should be understood that the position of the three speakers is
fixed and does not vary in time, i.e. the position of the speakers
at the time of emitting the test sound signals is identical to that
the speakers at the time of emitting the reference sound signals
and the position at the time of determining the target position of
the microphone is identical to that at the time of executing the
method 100.
In one embodiment, the three sound signals emitted at step 104 are
identical. In another embodiment, at least one of the three sound
signals is different from the other two sound signals.
In one embodiment, the target position corresponds to a previous
position for the microphone that was used for calibrating the sound
system of a simulator or performing a sound test for example. In
this case, the target position may have been determined using steps
104-110 of the method 100.
In one embodiment, the determination of the actual microphone
position using a trilateration method, as known in the art. In this
case, knowing the distance between each speaker and the microphone,
the position of the microphone relative to that of the three
speakers is determined using the geometry of circles, spheres or
triangles, as known in the art.
In another embodiment, the determination of the actual microphone
position is determined using a nonlinear least square fitting
method, as known in the art. In this case, the actual position of
the microphone is iteratively determined and may be expressed as
follows:
.times..times. ##EQU00001##
where P.sub.Next, P.sub.Prev, D.sub.i et S.sub.i are position
vectors expressed in the coordinate system (x,y,z);
P.sub.Next is the next position for the microphone;
P.sub.Prev is the previous determined position for the
microphone;
N is the number of speakers (N=3 in the present case);
D.sub.i is the distance between the microphone and the speaker i;
and
S.sub.i is the position of the speaker i;
In one embodiment, the first previous position, i.e. P.sub.0, used
in the method corresponds to the position that was determined the
last time the method was executed. In another embodiment, P.sub.0
is chosen as being the average position of the speakers positions.
In a further embodiment, the first previous position P.sub.0 is
chosen as being the center of the triangle formed by the three
speakers.
It should be understood that the method 100 may be embodied as a
computer machine comprising at least one processing unit or
processor, a communication unit and a memory having stored thereon
statements and/or instructions that, when executed by the
processing unit, executes the steps of the method 100.
In one embodiment, only steps 104 to 110 of the method 100 may be
performed to determine the actual position of the microphone. The
resulting method is then a method is then a computer-implemented
method for determining the actual position of a microphone.
While the above method 100 and system 140 each refer to the
emission of three sound signals by three separate speakers, the
person skilled in the art will understand that only two sound
signals may be sequentially emitted by two distinct speakers each
having a respective position. In this case, the step 106 comprises
measuring a first elapsed time between the emission of the first
sound signal by the first speaker and a detection of the first
sound signal by the microphone, and a second elapsed time between
the emission of the second sound signal by the second speaker and a
detection of the second sound signal by the microphone. The step
108 then comprises determining a first distance between the first
speaker position and the microphone using the first elapsed time,
and a second distance between the second speaker position and the
microphone using the second elapsed time. It should also be
understood that the step 110 of determining the actual position of
the microphone is performed using only using the first and second
determined distances and the positions of the first and second
speakers.
When only two speakers are used, the actual position of the
microphone may be determined by choosing a point located on the
circle representing the intersection of a first sphere having its
center located at the position of the first speaker and its radius
corresponding to the determined distance between the microphone and
the first speaker, and a second sphere having its center located at
the position of the second speaker and its radius corresponding to
the determined distance between the microphone and the second
speaker. The actual point of the microphone is then chosen as being
the point of the intersection circle that is the closest to a
reference point. The reference point may be the average position
between the positions of the two speakers. In another example, the
actual position of the microphone may be a point randomly chosen on
the circle.
FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment of a system 140 for determining
whether a given microphone is positioned at a desired or target
position. The system comprises a sound emitting unit 142, a sound
recording unit 144, a distance measurement unit 146, a position
determining unit 148 and a match identification unit 150.
The sound emitting unit 142 is connected to the three speakers 152
and configured for generating three sound signals and playing back
the three sound signals via three different speakers each having a
respective fixed and known position. In one embodiment, the three
sound signals to be played back by each speaker 152 are stored into
a database and the sound emitting unit 142 is configured for
retrieving the sound signal to be played back by each speaker 152
and playing back the sound signals via their respective speaker
152, two successive sound signals being temporally spaced apart by
a respective time delay, as described above with respect to the
method 100.
The sound recording unit 144 is connected to the microphone
positioned at an actual or given position and is configured for
recording the sound signals captured by the microphone and emitted
by the speakers 154, as described above with respect to the method
100.
The distance measurement unit 146 receives the determined distance
between the microphone and each speaker 152 from the sound
recording unit 144 and is configured for determining the
propagation time of each signal and determining the actual distance
between the microphone 154 and each speaker 152 using the speed of
sound and the respective propagation time, as described above with
respect to the method 100.
The position determining unit 148 receives the positions of the
three speakers which may be stored in the database for example and
the distance between the microphone and each speaker and is
configured for determining the actual position of the microphone as
described above with respect to the method 100.
The match identification unit 150 receives the target position for
the microphone which may be stored in the database for example and
the actual position of the microphone and is configured for
determining a match/mismatch between the actual position of the
microphone and its target position, as described above with respect
to the method 100.
In one embodiment, the system 140 may further comprise a visual
indicating device such as a lighting system, a display or the like
for visually informing the user of the match/mismatch. For example,
the match identification unit 150 may be configured to generate a
written message indicative of the match/mismatch and transmit the
generated message to a display to be displayed thereon.
In another embodiment, the match identification unit 150 may be
connected to a given one of the speakers used for playing back the
test sound signals and configured for generating an audio signal to
be played back via the given speaker. Alternatively, a further
speaker may be used for playing back the audio signal.
In one embodiment, the match identification unit 150 is further
configured for determining a difference between the actual position
and the target position and generate instructions for moving the
microphone form the actual position to the target position, as
described above.
In one embodiment, each one of the units 142-150 is provided with a
respective processing unit such as a microprocessor, a respective
memory and respective communication means. In another embodiment,
at least two of the units 62-66 may share a same processing unit, a
same memory and/or same communication means. For example, the
system 140 may comprise a single processing unit used by each unit
142-150, a single memory and a single communication unit.
In one embodiment, the match identification unit 150 may be
omitted. In this case, the resulting system is a system for
determining the actual position of a microphone.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary processing
module 160 for executing the steps 102 to 116 of the method 100, in
accordance with some embodiments. The processing module 160
typically includes one or more Computer Processing Units (CPUs)
and/or Graphic Processing Units (GPUs) 162 for executing modules or
programs and/or instructions stored in memory 164 and thereby
performing processing operations, memory 164, and one or more
communication buses 166 for interconnecting these components. The
communication buses 166 optionally include circuitry (sometimes
called a chipset) that interconnects and controls communications
between system components. The memory 164 includes high-speed
random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM or other random
access solid state memory devices, and may include non-volatile
memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical
disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile
solid state storage devices. The memory 164 optionally includes one
or more storage devices remotely located from the CPU(s) 162. The
memory 164, or alternately the non-volatile memory device(s) within
the memory 164, comprises a non-transitory computer readable
storage medium. In some embodiments, the memory 164, or the
computer readable storage medium of the memory 164 stores the
following programs, modules, and data structures, or a subset
thereof:
a sound emitting module 170 for emitting sound signals via
speakers;
a time measurement module 172 for measuring the propagation time of
each emitted sound signal
a distance measurement module 174 determining the distance between
the microphone and each speaker;
a position determining module 176 for determining the actual
position of the microphone;
a match identification module 178 for determining a match/mismatch
between the actual position of the microphone and its target
position and
a sound recording module 180 for recording the sound signals
captured by the microphone.
It should be understood that the sound recording module 180 may be
omitted.
Similarly, the match identification module 178 may be omitted. In
this case, the processing module 160 is configured for only
determining the actual position of a microphone.
Each of the above identified elements may be stored in one or more
of the previously mentioned memory devices, and corresponds to a
set of instructions for performing a function described above. The
above identified modules or programs (i.e., sets of instructions)
need not be implemented as separate software programs, procedures
or modules, and thus various subsets of these modules may be
combined or otherwise re-arranged in various embodiments. In some
embodiments, the memory 164 may store a subset of the modules and
data structures identified above. Furthermore, the memory 164 may
store additional modules and data structures not described
above.
Although it shows a processing module 160, FIG. 9 is intended more
as functional description of the various features which may be
present in a management module than as a structural schematic of
the embodiments described herein. In practice, and as recognized by
those of ordinary skill in the art, items shown separately could be
combined and some items could be separated.
While the above methods and systems are described in the context of
a vehicle simulator such as an aircraft simulator, it should be
understood that the methods and systems may be used in other
contexts in which a microphone has to be positioned at a target
position at which the microphone has to be positioned such as a
previous position at which the microphone was positioned. The
above-described methods and systems may be used for determining
whether the actual position of the microphone corresponds or not o
the target position.
The embodiments of the invention described above are intended to be
exemplary only. The scope of the invention is therefore intended to
be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.
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